David Maybury | Blog

Last paper review for a while – hope you enjoyed ‘em as much as I did.

The Independent UK champions the role of the Children’s Laureate -

Want a spokesman on the Today programme about the latest development in junior fiction or poetry? Call the Children’s Laureate. Need a voice to question the government’s literacy drive when this seems to be at the expense of reading for pleasure? Ask for a quote. Searching for a keynote speaker to promote picture books, poetry or novels? Look no further. The Children’s Laureate is alive, kicking and here to stay

AS Byatt was the toast of the weekend reviews – The Children’s Book appeared in the Irish Times and the Times UK. “Easily the best thing AS Byatt has written since her Booker-winning masterpiece, Possession (1990)”

And of course there was talk of the Carnegie Awards – Alison Flood analyses the shortlist while with Keith Gray making an appearance in the Guardian to say…

It’s the kids’ Booker… it’s good to be on a list that seems to have boys in mind. A lot of books aimed at boys are about being a spy, fighting monsters, being a vampire – it’s great to have some that are about what it feels like to just be a boy.

Elsewhere in the Guardian – Sally Nichols’ Season of Secrets gets read by Kathryn Hughes: “Sally Nicholls’s great challenge in this, her second book, is to graft a story of modern childhood on to one of myth and natural magic.” Michael Faber explores Jamilti – whilst bemoaning the tricks involved in reviewing graphic novels – and Craig Taylor reviews Razorjack.

Amanda Craig in the Times UK reviews Sarah Singleton’s The Poison Garden and Kaye Umanksy’s Pongwiffy Back. While Nicolette Jones reads Helen Grant’s The Vanishing of Katharina Linden:

Even if the plot ultimately seems somewhat unlikely, the reader is swept along by a need to know and by Pia’s engaging and innocent narrative voice, rather as the narrator of Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time leavens a tragic story. This has similar crossover appeal. For something so chilling, it is terrific entertainment.

Sam Jodinson is impressed by the staying power of John Christopher’s The Death of Grass -

Chances are that your memories will be forever tarnished. You will fail to rediscover the magic that entranced you first time around – but you will realise that Enid Blyton is a bigot, Willard Price a boor and Anne of Green Gables a bore. There are exceptions: Roald Dahl is a genius at any age… contrary to my normal expectations – The Death of Grass struck me even more forcefully this time around.

In other news…

Amazon profits are up.
Woody Harrelson uses the old zombie defence line.
The London Book Fair talk continues.
Bea Arthur – of Golden Girls fame – has died.

And finally – one last review that is worth a read – Catherine Taylors review of Sofie Laguna’s One Foot Wrong. And through the magic of Google – you can read the book here.

While I’m on the topic of pictures – there are two other great events this week (we’re spoilt for choice!) PJ Lynch will be celebrating UNESCO World Book Day - I got to see PJ a few months ago in the National Gallery and he was a great speaker – and an even better artist. So if you happen to be passing Drumcondra on Thursday night, why not drop in and catch some interesting chat about all things picture? More details are over on PJ’s site.

Elsewhere in the world, namely Galway, will see the passionate Colman Ó Raghallaig’s Táin graphic novel brought to life by a team of actors and musicians as part of the Cúirt Festival. If you haven’t picked up a copy of Colman’s book – then go. Stop reading here and go now. (Other highlights of Cúirt include some fella called Derek Landy and another fella called Tim Bowler. I’ve been lucky enough to hear both of them before and the crowds in Galway are in for a real treat.)

And if all that wasn’t enough – The Magic Illustration Exhibition opens in the Central Library (back in Dublin folks) on Thursday 23 too. The exhibition features work stolen borrowed from the iBby archive stronghold and kicks off at 6pm on Thursday 23 April.

Just for today I’m giving ye some more shiny links to look at. You know you want to. Back tomorrow with something interesting (promise).

Roy of the Rovers is being reincarnated - Egmont is publishing four 64 page special edition collections of the comic strip. But that’s not all – plans are afoot to see similar special collections of Battle, Buster and Misty later this year.

Vulpes Libris have a picture book round up – including a review of one of my favourites The Story of the Little Mole who knew it was None of his Business.

The Independent UK has more news about the impending new bill on graphic novels and cartoons of children.

Bookbrunch has news that Polly Dunbar’s series Tilly and Friends is being adapted by our own JAM Media for new multimedia platforms. (This is going to be good!)

And finally – via Achockablog – comes the news that Philip Ardagh has agreed to write a new series for Faber called ‘Grubtown Tales’. A special Grubtown tale will feature as a World Book Day book next year – paired with a Pongwiffy story from Kaye Umansky as part of a flip book.

Fancy a chance to win a snappy special edition by Kyle Baker? The Guardian is running a competition to mark the launch of Danny Finderoth’s The Rough Guide to Graphic Novels (pretty much what it says on the tin). To win one of the prints (or the runner-up prize of Fingeroth’s Rough Guide) all you have to do is answer one quick and easy question…

In Art Spiegelman’s graphic novel about the Holocaust, Maus, the characters are all presented as various types of anthropomorphic animals, according to nationality or race. What animal are the Germans? (Hint)

As a bonus – Fingeroth has a feature choosing his top 10 graphic novels (more books added to the list). Enjoy.

David Almond and one of my all time heroes, illustrator Dave McKean, have cooked up something wonderful. The Savage (described as part novel, part graphic novel) is about Blue Baker who writes stories that come true. I’m a long time fan of both Dave’s (see here) and I can’t wait to read the book…

Dave’s art is being shown in Foyles Bookshop in London for a week, starting Wednesday March 26. If you happen to be passing – head on in, take some pics and let me see!! Please?

The Savage, published by Walker Books, is due out on April 7.